Tilly Lockey on Co-Designing Advanced Bionic Arms with Open Bionics

Co-Designing Advanced Bionic Arms

• 💡 Tilly Lockey, who lost her hands to meningitis at 15 months old, has dedicated 10 years to working with Open Bionics.
• 🎯 Together, they have co-designed and co-created some of the most advanced bionic arms on the market.
• 🚀 The evolution of Open Bionics' prosthetics has come a long way, with significant improvements driven by user feedback.

User Experience and Design Improvements

• 🛠️ An early project at San Diego Comic-Con highlighted the importance of ventilation in prosthetic arms, especially in hot conditions.
• 🧠 The arms are controlled by muscle movements; electric signals from two specific muscles are picked up by sensors to control the hand (squeeze to close, flex to open).
• ✨ The technology is not invasive brain control but rather a practical, physical system that predicts user actions.

Impact on Daily Life and Self-Perception

• ✅ Wearing the bionic arms for the first time made Tilly feel good about wearing prosthetics, something she had never experienced before.
• 🤝 The ability to perform simple actions like shaking people's hands has significantly reduced awkwardness and improved social interactions.
• 💬 Expressing herself through gestures, like a peace sign, is now more natural, greatly impacting her body language and overall communication.

The Future of Medical Technology

• 📈 The medical technology space is described as being "out of this world," opening numerous doors.
• 🌟 Tilly expresses honor, pride, and excitement to be at the forefront of these advancements and witness their development.